Crime doesn't pay
by blowflylaura
Summary: Small little one-shot, basically what the title says. Read more to find out!


_Here's another one-shot I've been working on the last few days. I wanted to post it before I went to bed otherwise I'd end up changing it and I'm quite happy with it. It's my standard angst but I still hope you enjoy it :)_

I've always heard people say that crime doesn't pay but whenever I steal a wallet or hand over stolen jewellery, I wonder who first said that because I don't find it to be true. In fact I find that crime does pay and very well at that. When I was younger I never imagined that by the age of 20, I'd be an expert in pick pocketing, lock picking and burglary. They weren't the skills I dreamed of possessing, they're not exactly the key qualities that interviewers are looking for. When people used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always say the same thing. I wanted to be successful. I used to think that in order to be successful, I would have to become a doctor or a lawyer. I never expected to become a criminal. The ironic thing is that I did achieve my aim, I did become successful. Albeit it through illegal activities instead of a steady 9-5 job.

The first thing I ever stole was a chocolate bar at the age of ten. All my friends were egging me on, telling me that unless I stole it, I wouldn't be as cool as them. They proceeded to tell me how they did it time and time again and how it wasn't a big deal. I can remember exactly how I felt at that moment. It was almost as if I had the angel and devil on my shoulders. The angel told me to ignore them, they weren't really my friends if they pressured me to steal but the devil contradicted that, it pushed me to do it. I wanted to be cool; I didn't want to appear weak and a square. I placed it in my pocket and walked out of the shop and that was it. Nothing happened. I had expected the security guard to chase after me, the alarm to go off, anything. But everybody just acted normal; nobody noticed how the child who had just left the shop hadn't paid.

I had been afraid that somebody would see me but because nobody did I thought that meant I was untouchable, little did I know that stealing a chocolate bar wasn't going to land me in jail. Because nobody stopped me the first time, I felt free to do it again. Any fear I had originally felt was quickly replaced with euphoria. Stealing gave me a high I never knew existed and the knowledge that I could get away with it gave me a rush. So I kept doing it. At first it started off small, a couple more chocolate bars here and there, maybe some crisps but it was when I stole my first item of clothing that the real rush kicked in.

I knew that stealing clothes would be a lot different from stealing confectionery from the corner shop but I embraced the challenge. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I knew before it happened that the alarms would blare but I didn't stop walking. When I heard the security guard shout after me. I started running and lost him without any problems. An overweight middle-aged man was really no competition for an athletic fifteen year old girl. After I had reached a safe place, I remember my hands had been shaking but this time it wasn't through fear, it was through pleasure. I couldn't stop thinking about doing it again.

Over time I developed new skills which aided my stealing and helped me move from clothes to more valuable items. I found pickpocketing quite easy, which came as a surprise to me. I had expected it to be harder than it was but a little misdirection and sleight of hand and bob's your uncle. I practiced on my friends first, not that they knew my ulterior motives; they thought I was just messing about. I used to try and see if I could grab their phones or their purses without them noticing. I would always put the items back, it was just practice, and I just wanted to see if I had the ability to steal a phone, a wallet or a watch without anybody noticing.

Turns out I can.

It seems I have a bit of a knack for pickpocketing. Being a young girl helps considerably too, people don't look at me and think thief, I appear trustworthy and that is my greatest asset.

I used to sell on the phones, the IPods and whatever else I had managed to pinch to whoever would buy them but I soon learnt that in order to make the big money, I had to branch out. I had to veer away from pickpocketing and steal things of greater value. That was how I started stealing car radios and burgling houses. I was only 18 when I first broke into a house. I had no idea what I was doing so when the alarm went off, I fled the scene. I'm 20 now and a lot more experienced. I can break into most houses without any problem.

It's amazing what you can learn if you meet the right people.

I thought pickpocketing gave me a rush but breaking into somebody's house gave me the biggest exhilaration I'd ever felt. The knowledge that I could be caught at any second only heightened the excitement.

I bet you're thinking that because of my deviant behaviour, I probably come from a broken family. I probably had a difficult childhood and turning to crime was my way of dealing with everything, it was my outlet for dealing with the problems at home but that's not the case. My parents and I have a brilliant relationship and their marriage has never been stronger than it is right now. In fact I'm going to the renewal of their wedding vows next month. They don't know what I do in my spare time instead they support my decision not to go to university and support me in whatever decision I make.

They have no idea that their precious little daughter is a thief.

I wish I could use my family as an excuse for my crimes but I can't. I can't blame anybody but myself. I commit crimes because it feels good. I enjoy doing it. It's the same reason that people drink or turn to drugs. It makes you forget your inhibitions and just for a moment, you feel free, untouchable.

You feel alive.

However, like anything in life if you do it too much, it'll grow tiresome. That's what happened to me. I became bored committing the same mundane crimes over and over again. Don't get me wrong, I still got a rush from doing it but I wanted a new challenge. I live in a modest area, in a modest flat, which crime paid for and every flat or house in my surrounding area is pretty much the same so I knew they wouldn't be good enough. Besides, I don't steal from my neighbours.

I have a thing about it, it seems wrong. The thief has morals, who'd have thought it.

I pondered what would give me that thrill I so desperately craved and it was in front of my eyes the entire time.

I would rob the Webster family.

It was no secret that they were rich, their attitudes oozed wealth. They lived just outside Weatherfield and their house stuck out like a sore thumb. In comparison with the 3 bedroom semi-detached houses on the street, the borderline mansion was in an element of its own. The family were kind of an enigma. I didn't really know much about them other than the basics. I knew the family consisted of five people, the mother and father, their two daughters and the father's bastard child. The thing with them is that they didn't earn their money; the father won it via the lottery. Why should he get to keep all that money when he only got it via luck? Somehow it just doesn't seem fair. They paraded around, boasting about their wealth and in my book that's just asking for trouble. Robbing them would be my greatest feat to date.

"Sian, you're not even listening to me."

I turned my head to look at Sophie. She was pouting at me with puppy dog eyes. I apologised before giving her a chaste kiss. Her pout soon disappeared and was replaced by her killer smile before she snuggled into my chest.

With most burglaries, I don't really plan it. I watch a certain person's routine occasionally, working out when they're out of the house but most of the time I just wing it. I've mastered the ability of sneaking around thus making burglaries easier. I also have a tendency to burgle during the day; it makes things riskier sure but more often than not, nobody's home during the day.

But this burglary would have to be different. They knew that the news of their lottery win filled the papers and most people in the neighbourhood knew about it. They didn't expect any of their friends to rob them but they still took precautions. They had a top-notch security system and therefore I had to approach this burglary with delicacy. Thus the reason their youngest daughter is now nestled comfortably against my chest, playing with my fingers.

The thing about Sophie is she's only 17, therefore she's easy to manipulate and she is very impressionable. If that wasn't good enough, she had only recently come out so I knew it wouldn't be hard to get her to date me.

All I had to do was shower her with affection and she was like putty in my hands.

I mean her first girlfriend is older than her by a few years and shows more interest in her than anybody else has ever done, it was like taking candy from a baby. I could tell by the way she acted around me that she loved the fact that I was older than her.

Granted her parents weren't ecstatic about the idea. They weren't overjoyed with the news that their youngest daughter was a lesbian and now she was dating a 20 year old with a nose piercing and tattoos. I didn't expect them to love me but I knew how to twist parents around my little finger. Sure enough, after careful explanations that I really liked their daughter and I would protect her and after a quick promise that I would never hurt her, the deed was as good as done. I could tell by the change in their faces that I had won them around.

Sometimes being charming is such a blessing.

I mean don't get me wrong, I've dated people before purposely for their money, men and women, so I know how to get into people's good books and according to the Webster family, I'm the ideal woman, the kind of woman every mother would want as a daughter-in-law. I know all the right things to say and I know how to work a room. The fact that I'm a thief doesn't change the fact that I can be the nicest, most polite person ever if necessary.

When I worked out this plan, I thought it would be simple. I thought that this would be my easiest robbery ever. I would gain her and her parent's trust; I would essentially become part of their family. I'd have plenty of time to case their house and decide what I wanted. I would find out the location of everything and when the time came, I would rob them blind.

I should have expected things to be a bit more difficult.

See the thing is, I think I actually like Sophie. I like the entire family. They've welcomed me into their home and it feels good. Normally when I pull this scam, I don't feel anything but this time something's different.

I genuinely smile when I see her name flash up on my phone, I laugh at her embarrassingly bad jokes but not out of pity or kindness, it's because I can't believe how adorable she is. When she holds my hand underneath a blanket so her parents don't see, I feel like a giddy schoolgirl having their first crush. When I kiss her, I do feel something but that's because she's a really good kisser, or at least that's what I tell myself. I can't let myself believe anything else because that's dangerous.

I can't have feelings for her.

I steal a glance at her and she's watching the movie intently, her nose crinkling slightly whenever she laughs. She really is so sweet and innocent. If I did the entire scam all over again, I wouldn't have used Sophie like this, I feel bad that's she's going to get hurt. I shake my head quickly; I can't have thoughts like that. I've been 'dating' her for the past three months because robbing her family will be my sweetest victory yet, I'm not going to just give up on that task.

My buyer is expecting me at midnight and he's expecting me to have something. I'm not going to turn up empty handed. The plan was always to do it tonight. I was going to spend the night like I have done previously but tonight it would just be the two of us. Her parents had swanned off on their seventh holiday of the year so far, see they don't deserve the money, and her sister Rosie was going to her boyfriend's house. It was the perfect time to do it. The alarm would be off and I'd already be in the house. All I had to do was wait for her to fall asleep and I'd be quid's in.

It will be the easiest robbery I've ever done but I can't rid myself of this feeling in the pit of my stomach. It's been lurking there for a while now but I don't know what it is. It's unfamiliar, I know that much and sometimes when I'm with Sophie, it becomes so strong I feel like I'm going to throw up.

I was distracted from my thoughts by Sophie nibbling softly on my ear. "What are you thinking about?"

Considering we've been 'dating' for three months, I don't really know that much about her. Whenever we talk, I don't really ask her about herself. I don't want to know because knowing things about her makes this personal and this isn't personal. So I let her bombard me with questions and I watch as she listens to the lies which spout out of my mouth.

I do know three concrete things about her though. Number one, she's constantly paranoid that she isn't experienced enough for me. I'm her first girlfriend and time and time again she's told me that she isn't ready for sex and then she blushes and thinks I'm going to break up with her. I actually find that really cute, her innocence and fear is just adorable. Number two, she always likes to have some form of contact with me, whether it be holding my hand or snuggling into my chest. And number three, she always wants to know what I'm thinking about.

"You."

Sophie beamed at the answer before kissing me quickly. Actually, I stand corrected, I know four things. Give her a compliment and that's good enough.

She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth. Wow, she looked sexy doing that. I had to stop myself from kissing her again. "Come to my room." She whispered the words huskily.

She held her hand out for me to take and dragged me into the bedroom. I stole a glance at my watch. I had three hours to do this and get out. She sat me on the bed before standing in front of me. "Sophie…"

My words were cut off as she dropped her pink dressing gown to reveal lacy, red lingerie. My mouth fell open at the sight and I could feel myself getting turned on. She'd been sitting out there with that under her dressing gown. If I'd have known that, we wouldn't have been watching the movie. I raked my eyes over her entire body; I had no idea her stomach was that toned. We've never done anything more than kiss really, the odd grope here and there but this was completely new territory for us.

I was more than experienced in that department but I knew Sophie was a virgin. She actually told me on our second date before blushing nervously. I had told her it didn't matter. Truthfully I never expected to get her into bed, I mean if I did it would be a bonus, after all she is gorgeous, but that was never my primary aim.

She stood nervously before me. This was the most exposed she had ever been with anybody and I could tell she felt self-conscious. Although she had no reason to feel like that. The feeling in my stomach reappeared quickly. Here she was, exposing herself for the first time to somebody she trusted and I'd spent the last three months lying and abusing that trust. My silence must have completely unnerved her because she grabbed her dressing gown and wrapped it around herself. "I've just made a fool of myself haven't I?"

I brought my eyes away from her body and met hers. "No, not at all." I grabbed the tie of her dressing gown and undid it slowly. "You look unbelievably sexy."

She smiled shyly before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Really?" She asked in disbelief.

I kept forgetting that I was the first person she had let see her like this. She wasn't used to getting compliments like that. Hell, I wasn't used to giving them but she deserved them. "Really." I placed my hands on her waist.

She giggled nervously. God, could she be any cuter?

I crashed our lips together, my grip on her waist tightening slightly. I trailed my tongue along her bottom lip before she granted it entry. I released a guttural moan when my tongue connected with hers. Considering she was so inexperienced, she was an exceptional kisser. Her hands gripped my hair as our kiss deepened. I shrugged her dressing gown off her shoulders and heard the quiet thud as it hit the ground.

We fell onto her bed in one fluid motion, never breaking the kiss. I trailed my hands along her stomach, once again admiring how toned it was. I could feel goose-bumps forming as I stroked her soft skin. I pulled my dress over my head leaving me in just my underwear matching her before kissing her once again.

The feeling in my stomach was growing immensely as I brought my hands to her bra cladded breasts. Sophie gasped as I traced my finger along the edge of the bra. I brought my hands to her bra clasp. "Can I?" This was by far the furthest we've gone and I wanted to make sure she was comfortable with everything. She nodded her head slowly before bringing her arms up to cover herself the moment I removed the bra.

"Stop it." I said sincerely, grabbing her hands and holding them above her head. "You don't have any idea how beautiful you are, do you?" I wasn't looking for an answer because I already knew it. I released my hold on her hands and brought my hands to touch the mounds of flesh. She whimpered quietly at my touch. "Does that feel good?"

She mumbled a quiet yes. I brought our lips together once more, my hands never leaving her breasts. I manoeuvred my position slightly to feel more comfortable, my thigh accidentally coming to rest between her thighs. She gasped at the sudden contact. God I could feel her desire through her underwear. The knowledge that she was this turned on by me made my heart race a little faster. The knowledge that I did that to her made me smirk.

I kissed her once more, my tongue finding its counterpart instantaneously; I pulled back after a short while to see her eyes were still closed. I smirked once more before sucking on her pulse point with fervour. She always told me to be gentle and not leave any marks and I always obliged but this time I was going to ignore that plea. I wanted to leave a mark; I wanted her to remember this moment.

"Sian…" I hummed in response, my lips never leaving her neck. "I want you."

That comment made me look at her. "You mean…"

"I'm ready Sian." She said quietly

It was only then that I realised what the feeling in my stomach was.

Guilt.

She was giving herself to me, she was asking me to take her virginity. I had only started dating her to pull off the biggest robbery of my career so far. I hadn't expected things to escalate this quickly. I should tell her no, tell her I'm not the right person for her to experience this with but when I open my mouth, the word no isn't on my lips.

"Are you sure?" She nodded and gave me a small smile. "Okay." I whispered the word in her ear before placing a path of butterfly kisses from her ear to her collarbone. I trailed my tongue down her stomach before placing a kiss on her core over her knickers.

I hooked my fingers under the waistband of her knickers and waited until her eyes found mine. Silently I asked her permission. She may have said she was ready but I want her to know that she has every opportunity to back out. She gave me a small nod and that was all I needed. She raised her hips slightly allowing me to remove her underwear.

God she was beautiful.

I settled between her thighs and the scent of her arousal hit me straight away. God I wanted her so badly at this point. I kissed along her inner thighs, teasing her mercilessly.

"Sian…"

My eyes found hers and for a moment I thought she was going to tell me to stop. Don't get me wrong, I would but it would be incredibly difficult. "Are you okay? Do you want me to stop?"

She shook her head. "I want you up here." She breathed out the words in a ragged breath. I nodded before kissing my way up her body, placing a final kiss on her lips.

She tensed as my fingers slid through her folds, her eyes closed straight away and I could see her biting down hard on her bottom lip. "Look at me." Sophie's eyes stayed closed. "Sophie, look at me." This time she lazily opened her eyes. "Just relax." I said softly. "If you want me to stop, just say the word and I will." I continued. "I'm not going to do anything you're not comfortable with."

Sophie nodded but the rigid position of her body told me that she was anything but relaxed. I brought my lips to her ear, nibbling on the earlobe, that was one of her weak spots. "Trust me babe and just relax."

I watched as Sophie slept soundly beside me, the duvet covering her naked body. I released a heavy sigh at the knowledge of what I'd just done. I had just taken her virginity on the pretence of a lie. The guilt surged in my stomach and I felt sick. What was I doing? I keep replaying it over and over again in my head, the way her eyes closed tightly when I first entered her, the way she bucked her hips when I first tasted her, the way her mouth formed the perfect 'O' when she came but what I keep thinking about the most is when I lay down beside her and she told me she loved me.

Those three little words were all it took for my world to come crashing down.

She was in love with me and had just trusted me with the most precious thing. She had trusted me the one thing that she would never get back and what's worse is I took it, knowing full well that my actions weren't honourable. I should have said no. When she said she was ready, I should have lied and said I wasn't. I shouldn't have let that happen. I knew she had feelings for me, it was obvious the way she behaved around me but I didn't know her feelings stemmed that far. I knew that I had feelings for her as well and no matter how hard I tried to ignore them, they kept resurfacing. It was only now as I stroked a strand of her hair out of her face that it hit me full force.

I was in love with her too.

This cannot be happening. I can't have fallen for her. That wasn't part of the plan. I only dated her for a bigger purpose. I had a job to do, the greatest job of my career, if what I do can even count as a career. Even if I didn't want to rob her house, I couldn't be with her. She deserved so much better than me. She deserved to be with the person I wished I could be, not the person I was, a criminal and a liar.

I'd only end up hurting her. And you know what they say, it's better sooner rather than later.

Climbing out of her bed, I moved around the room as quietly as I could, picking up my scattered clothes and leaving her bedroom. It was only when I left that I realised I didn't have my bra, I had no idea where that had been thrown. Standing in her hallway, I took a deep breath before making my way around her house, heading for the items I had already picked out. Any other house and it would be like Christmas to me, my own personal wish list. Her mother's jewellery, the money her parents kept in the safe, Sophie had innocently told me the combination one night when she was drunk. She'd tell me anything when drunk, she was an open book. I'm not going to lie; I did use that to my advantage. I grabbed their digital camera and their video camera before pinching her father's car keys.

I placed my bag down by the front door and quickly found myself in Sophie's doorway. She was still sound asleep and she looked unbelievably peaceful. She had no idea what was waiting for her when she woke up. I grabbed a piece of paper from her desk and quickly wrote on it before resting it on her bedside table near her alarm clock.

I placed a soft kiss on her head, panicking as she stirred but luckily remained asleep. "I love you too."

I left her bedroom and stopped at Sophie's bag which rested on the back of one of the dining room chairs. I wrapped my hands around her purse and pulled it out, opening it instantly. I felt a lone tear slip down my cheek as my eyes fell on the picture which rested inside her purse. It was a strand of photos from a photo booth; we'd had them taken on our first date. The sound of a car door slamming in the distance made me jump and the purse fell on the floor. I grimaced as it hit the floor and quickly left her house in case the noises had woken her up.

I pressed Kevin's car key and entered his car silently before allowing myself to cry. I turned my head to see my cliché bag of swag in the back seat. It wasn't too late. I could put everything back and pretend like nothing happened. I could climb back into bed with Sophie and in the morning we could just be a happy couple. I could be a better person than this; I didn't have to be a thief.

I knew that no matter what I told myself, it wasn't true. I was tainted with the criminal image, I could pretend that wasn't what I was but I'd be lying to myself and everybody else. I loved Sophie and wanted her to be happy but she wouldn't be happy with me. How could she be happy with a thief? That's all I was, a good-for-nothing thief.

I turned the engine on, wiping my eyes quickly to prevent the tears from falling once more. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and for the first time in my life, I hated the person staring back at me. This wasn't who I wanted to be. It was at that moment that I wished my dreams had come true; life would have been so much simpler had I been a doctor or a lawyer. Then I could have been the person Sophie deserved.

Reversing out of their driveway, I watched through the rear-view mirror as their house disappeared from sight. My eyes fell to the clock on the dashboard, it was eleven thirty, I'd still make my appointment with my buyer. Normally I'd be thrilled at the prospect of completing a deal as grand as this, I'd currently be on a high from committing the crime but right now I just felt sick.

Parking in my normal spot, I left the car and searched the area for my buyer. "About time you showed, I was about to leave." His gruff voice startled me slightly and I turned around to face him. "What have you got?"

I placed the bag in front of his feet and watched him rummage through it before throwing the car keys at him. "You can have the car too."

"Not bad." He smiled wickedly and threw an envelope at me. My pay or finder's fee as he liked to call it. "Since you did so well, I'll even let you keep the car." He held his hand outstretched, the keys dangling from his index finger.

"I don't want it."

He quirked his eyebrow before retracting his hand. "Don't say I don't ever give you anything. Nice little nest egg you've got here, I'll be expecting more where this came from."

"No that's all you're getting." I said angrily. "I'm never going back to that house."

"You're just going to let all that stuff slip through your fingers?"

"Like I said that's all you're getting." I shoved my hands in the pockets of my coat. "I'm done with this, all of it. Find yourself another lackey."

I walked away from him, ignoring his shouts. I couldn't turn back around; I couldn't see all of their stuff lying on the side of the road. I had betrayed them all. I never felt anything other than excitement and happiness after I had offended but now I have never been more disgusted with myself.

I used to think anybody who said crime doesn't pay was lying but now I understand what they meant. I may have earned shed loads of money from the crimes I've committed over the last ten years but because of who I am, I can't be with Sophie. Crime may pay in the economic sense but it isn't worth it when you realise that in order to be rich, you have to sacrifice things. That's why crime doesn't pay, it isn't worth the consequences.

Sophie rolled over in her sleep, completely oblivious to everything that had just happened. She didn't know that when she woke up in a few hours, her bed would be empty and her house would have been burgled. Instead she slept quite content in her dreams fully expecting the next day to be the start of the rest of her life. She had no idea that waking up would end her heart break.

She had no idea that when she opened her purse the following day, the only thing missing would be the strand of photos containing her and Sian.

She also had no idea of the note left on her bedside table. The only parting gift she would get from Sian. And it contained just one word.

_Sorry._


End file.
